Detachable fastening clip

ABSTRACT

This disclosure relates to a one-piece detachable fastening clip for retaining two mating bodies in engagement with each other. The clip comprises two integral and resilient bent arm members which terminate in free ends and which have tangs struck therefrom and which are bent inwardly toward each other for receiving and retaining one of the mating bodies between the arm members. The free ends of the arm members are bent inwardly toward each other, and handles or control arms are struck from the arm members and bent outwardly therefrom and extend away from the free ends. The free ends are deflected outwardly away from each other and against the self-biasing force of the arm members when the control arms are pinched toward each other to thereby allow the other of the mating bodies to be received between the arm members and to mate with the one mating body. The inherent biasing forces of the arm members causes the free ends to move inwardly when the control arms are released to detachably engage the other mating body.

United States Patent 1 Szanny 1 Feb. 27, 1973 [54] DETACHABLE FASTENINGCLIP [75] Inventor: Roy G. Szanny, Hubbard, Ohio [57] ABSTRACT Thisdisclosure relates to a one-piece detachable [73] Asslgnee' 33:53 rcorponnon fastening clip for retaining two mating bodies in engagementwith each other. The clip comprises two in- [22] Filed: March 27,1972tegral and resilient bent arm members which terminate in free ends andwhich have tangs struck [21] Appl' 238383 therefrom and which are bentinwardly toward each other for receiving and retaining one of the mating[52] us. Cl. ..338/22, 24/8l R, 24/81 B, bodies between the a membersThe free ends of 24/255 A the arm members are bent inwardly toward each51 rm. Cl. ..rr01 7/04, other, and handles or control arms are Struckfrom the [58] Field 0 Search "338/22, 24/255 A 255 Sp, arm members andbent outwardly therefrom and ex- 24/8l 3,81R73 B; 85/81 tend away fromthe free ends. The free ends are deflected outwardly away from eachother and against [56] References Cited the self-biasing force of thearm members when the control arms are pinched toward each other toUNITED STATES PATENTS thereby allow the other of the mating bodies to bereceived between the arm members and to mate with 85,953 1/1869 Muller..24/255 SP h one mating y The inherent biasing forces of $2353; the armmembers causes the free ends to move in- Primary Examiner-C. L.Albritton Attorney-W. E. Finken et al.

wardly when the control arms are released to detachably engage the othermating body.

4 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures Wt ll? DETACIIABLE FASTENING CLIP Thepresent invention relates to a detachable fastening clip, and moreparticularly, to-a detachable fastening clip which lockingly retains onemating body and which detachably engages another mating body to retainthe two bodies in mating engagement.

Thermistors are currently proposed for use in, electronic fuel injectionsystems for automotive vehicles. In these systems, a plurality oftherrnistors are positioned within the engine compartment, such as beingthreadably engaged with studs on the engine block, in order to sense amultiplicity of ambient conditions. The thermistors provide variableelectronic signals which depend upon the ambient conditions and whichserve to control the amount of fuel fed to the vehicleengine. Theterminal of each thermistor is mated with the terminal of a lead from apower source. In this respect, a connecting clip is highly desirable forefficiency purposes in assembly and disassembly which would lockinglyengage the thermistor connector and which would detachably engage thethermistor in order to mate the connector and thermistor.

Connecting clips have heretofore been provided wherein bent arm portionsare pinched in order that the clip can be attached to a first body andwhich thereafter engages a fastening means in order that a second bodycan .be connected with the first body. For

example, see US. Pat. No. 2,426,799. Connecting clips have also beenprovided with bent arm portions which snappingly engage one of twomating parts to retain it relative to a third part for engagement withthe second mating part. For example, see U.S. Pat. No. 2,303,148.

Further, connecting clips have been provided with bent arm portionswhich snappingly receive a first part and engage a second part whilebeing detachable from the second part upon pinching of the bent arms.For example, see U.S. Pat. No. 2,968,850.

An object of the present invention is to provide a new and improvedfastening clip for retaining two mating bodies in engagement with eachother and which is of a simple and economical construction and which isof a construction and arrangement such that it snap .fittingly receivesand retains one of the mating bodies and detachably retains the other ofthe mating bodies in engagement with the one body. g

It is another object of the present invention to provide a new andimproved one-piece detachable fastening clip for retaining two matingbodies in engagement with each other and which comprises two integraland resilient bent arm members which terminate in free ends and whichhave tangs struck therefrom intermediate its ends and bent inwardlytoward each other for receiving and retaining one of the mating bodiesbetween the arm members, and wherein the free ends of the arm membersare bent inwardly toward each other and control arms are struck from thearm members and bent outwardly therefrom to extendv away from the freeends of the arm members, and wherein the free ends are deflectedoutwardly away from each other and against the self-biasing force of thearm members when the control arms are pinched toward each other to allowthe other of the mating bodies to be received between the arm membersand to mate with the one mating body and wherein the self-biasing forceof the arm members causes the free ends to move inwardly when thecontrol arms are released 'to detachably engage the other mating body.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a detachablefastening clip as described in the previous objects and wherein thefastening clip lockingly engages a thermistor connector and detachablyengages a thermistor when the connector and thermistor are mated.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention willbecome more fully apparent from the following description and drawingswherein:

FIG. 1 is .a front elevational view of the detachable fastening clip ofthe present invention;

FIG. 2 is an end elevational view of the same;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the same;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 1 but with a first mating body beingengaged with the clip;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4 but with different parts in differentpositions; and

FIG. 6 is yet another view similar to FIG. 4 but with the clip holdingthe first mating body and a second mating body in engagement with eachother.

As representing a preferred embodiment of the present invention, thedrawings show a detachable fastening clip 10 for holding a first matingbody 12 in engagement with a second mating body 14.

Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, the first and second mating bodies 12 and 14are herein shown as a thermistor connector and a thermistor,respectively, such as those which can be employed in electronic fuelinjection systems for automotive vehicles. It should be understood,however, that the clip 10 of the present invention could be used toconnect together various kinds of mating bodies or components.

The thermistor connector 12 comprises an insulating body 16 of anysuitable insulating material, such as rubber or plastic, and is somewhatelongated (not shown) and generally trapezoidal in shape when viewed incross-section. Referring to FIG. 4, the insulator body 16 has a fiat topside 18, a pair of inclined sides 20, and a bottom side 22 which iswider than the top side 18 and which together define the generallytrapezoidal shape of the insulator body 16 when it is viewed incross-section. The insulating body 16 has a generally circular orannular flange 24 which projects from its bottom side 22 and defines acircular cavity 26. Further, the insulator body 16 has a generallycylindrical chamber 28 located centrally therein and which is coaxialwith the circular cavity 26. The circular cavity 26 and the innerchamber 28 are connected via an entrance opening 30 which is of aslightly smaller diameter than the chamber 28. The inner cylinderchamber 28 houses a complementary shaped female terminal 32 4 which isconnected with a power source (not shown),

such as the battery of an automotive vehicle, via a lead wire (notshown) which extends into the insulator body 16 and which is suitablyconnected with the terminal 32. The female terminal 32 hascircumferentially spaced Radially expandable and contractable portions32a.

The thermistor 14, as shown in FIG. 6, includes a frusto-conical upperportion 34 having a top surface 35 from which a cylindrical maleterminal 36 projects. The upper end of the frusto-conical upper portion34 is generally complementary in shape to the circular cavity 26 of thethermistor connector 16. The male terminal 36, is generallycomplementary in shape to the female terminal 32 of the thermistorconnector 12 and is adapted to be frictionally received with theportions 320. of the female terminal 32. The thermistor 14 also includesa lower portion 38 in the fonn of an octagonal head which has a threadedstud 39 thereon which is used to attach the thermistor 14 to somecomplementary threaded independent body (not shown), such as an engineblock in an automotive vehicle. In this respect the octagonal headprovides means for gripping and turning the thermistor 14 into threadedengagement.

The detachable fastening clip comprises a single piece member which isstamped from flat spring steel stock and lanced and bent to theconfiguration shown in FIG. 1 by a suitable die apparatus. The clip 10broadly comprises a pair of bent arm members 40 having upper portions 42for gripping and holding the insulator body 16 intermediate portions 43and lower portions 44 for holding the thermistor 14, and a pair ofmanually manipulatable handles or control arms 46 for flexing the lowerportions of the arms toward and from each other to enable the thermistorto be attached and detached from the insulator body 16.

Referring to FIGS. 1 3, the detachable fastening clip 10 includes a flatupper base portion 48 from whose opposite ends the bent arm members 40extend in a flaring or diverging relationship. As best shown in FIGS. 2and 3, the upper base portion 48 and the upper portions 42 of the twobent arm members 40 are of substantially greater width than theintermediate and lower portions 43 and 44 of the bent arm members 40'.The upper portions 42 of the two bent arm members 40 extend from theopposite ends of the upper base portion 48 and both terminate in pairsof the curled tongs 50 which are struck or lanced from the upper portion42 at positions substantially adjacent the narrower intermediateportions 43 and which are curled inwardly toward each other. The upperbase portion 48, the upper portions 42 of the two bent arm members 40,and the pairs of tangs 42, as best shown in FIG. 1, define a shapesubstantially complementary to the trapezoidal shape of the insulatorbody 16 when viewed in cross-section.

The lower portions 44 of the arm members 40 have their free ends 52, asshown in FIG. 1, curled and bent inwardly toward each other. The lowerportions 44 of the arm members 40, except for the free ends 52, extendparallel to each other and are spaced apart a distance substantiallyequal to the diameter of the lower portion 38 of the thermistor 14. Inother words, the lower portions 44 are formed substantiallycomplementary to the outer periphery of the lower portion 38 of thethermistor 14. The lower portions 44 of the arm members 40 form anobtuse included angle with the intermediate portions 43 and the lowerportions 44 can be flexed toward and from each other about theirjuncture 54 with the intermediate portions 43. The juncture 54 providesflexible hinge means about which the control arms 46 and lower portions44 of the arms 40 move in unison with respect to the upperand lowerportions 42 and 43 of the arms 40.

38 and are formed in a parallel relationship substantially the samedistance apart as the parallel lower portions 44. Additionally, thecontrol arms 46 and the lower portions 44 of the bent arm members 40include embossed impressions 60 which extend centrally from the freeends 58 of the control arms 46 to immediately adjacent the bent freeends 52 of the lower portions 44 of the control arms 40. The embossedimpressions 60, as is well known in the art, strengthen the control arms46 and the lower portions 44 of the arms 40 to substantially prevent anydeflection therebetween when the free ends 58 of the control arms 46 arepinched together, as will later be described.

In operation, the thermistor connector 12 is positioned between the twobent arm members 40 and thereafter, the thermistor connector is movedupwardly between the pairs of tangs 50 until the tangs 50 engage theinclined sides 20 of the connector 12. When the connector 12 is forcedfurther upwardly, the tangs 50 and two bent arm members 40 of thefastening clip 10 are deflected outwardly away from each other, and whenthe bottom side 22 of the connector 12 passes the tangs 50, the two bentarm members 40 snap inwardly to seat the tangs 50 against the bottomside 22 of the connector 12 and thereby lockingly engage the connector12. The fastening clip 10 and assembled thermistor 12 are thenpositioned over the thermistor l4 and the free ends 58 of the controlarms 46 are manually pinched together. As the free ends 58 of thecontrol arms 46 approach one another, the free ends 52 and the lowerportions 44 are deflected about the portions 54 of the two bent armmembers 40 outwardly away from one another. Thus, the two lower portions44'of the bent arm members 40 can be received about the thermistor 14.As the two bent arm members are received about the thermistor 14, thethermistor 14 and the connector 12 are mated in engagement with the maleterminal 36 entering opening 30 and the female terminal 32 and with thefrusto-conical upper portion 34 being received within the circularcavity 26 of the thermistor connector 12. Thereafter, when the free ends58 of the control arms 46 are released, the lower portions 44 moveresiliently inwardly and engage the periphery of the octagonal head 38of the thermistor 14 at opposite sides thereof, and the free ends 52also move resiliently inwardly behind the head 38 of the thermistor 14to lock the clip 10 thereto and retain the connector 12 and thethermistor 14 in mating engagement.

It should be readily apparent that the clip 14 can easily be detachedfrom locking engagement with the thermistor 14 by merely pinching thefree ends 58 of the control arms 46 together and pulling the thermistor14 of the thermistor connector 12 out of mating engagement.

The foregoing disclosure relates to only one embodiment of the inventionwhich may be modified within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A one-piece detachable fastening clip for retaining members, saidfree ends of said arm members being bent inwardly toward each other,control arms struck from said arm members and bent'outwardly therefromand extending away from said free ends of said arm members, said freeends being deflectable outwardly away from each other and against theself-biasing force of said arm members when said control arms arepinched toward each other to-allow the other of the mating bodies to bereceived between said arm members and to mate with said one mating body,and the self-biasing force of said arm members causing said free ends tomove inwardly when said control arms are released to detachably engagesaid other mating body.

2. A one-piece detachable fastening clip for retaining two matingcomponents in engagement with each other, comprising: two integral andresilient arm members formed in a diverging relationship and terminatingin free ends, each of said arm members having tang means strucktherefrom intermediate their ends and bent inwardly toward each otherfor snap fastening one of said mating components between said armmembers, said arm members between said tang means and said free endshaving a portion complementary to the other of said mating components,said free ends being bent inwardly toward each other, control armsstruck from said arm members and bent outwardly therefrom and extendingoppositely from said free ends, said free ends and the complementaryportion of said arm members being deflected outwardly when said controlarms are pinched toward each other to allow said arm members to bereceived about said other mating component and for said other matingcomponent to mate with said one mating component, and the self-biasingforce of said arm members causing said complementary portions to moveinwardly to peripherally engage said other mating component and causingsaid free ends to move inwardly and pass behind said other matingcomponent when said control armsare released to detachably engage saidother mating component. i

3. A one-piece detachable fastening clip for retaining a connector bodyin engagement with a mating thermistor, comprising: a flat base portion,two resilient and spaced apart are membersbent into a divergingrelationship from said base portion, said arm members terminating infree ends, each of said arm members having pairs of tangs strucktherefrom between said base portion and said free ends, said pairs oftangs being bent inwardly toward the opposite arm members and beingadapted for snap fastening locking engagement with the connector toretain the connector between said arm members, said arm members betweensaid pairs of tangs and said free ends having portions complementary inshape to the outer periphery of the thermistor, said free ends of saidarm members being bent inwardly toward each other; a pair of controlarms struck from said arm members and bent outwardly therefrom into aparallel relationship and ex tending from between said tangs and saidfree ends oppositely from said free ends, said free ends and thecomplementary portions of said arm members being deflected outwardlyagainst the self-biasing force of said arm members when said controlarms are pinched to allow the arm members to be received about thethermistor and for the connector to mate with the thermistor, and theself-biasin force of said arm members causing said complemen ary portionto move inwardly to engage the periphery of the thermistor and causingthe free ends to move inwardly and behind the thermistor when saidcontrol arms are released to detachably engage said thermistor.

4. A thermistor connection, comprising: a thermistor; a thermistorconnector matingly engageable with said thermistor; and a one-piecedetachable fastening clip for retaining said connector in matingengagement with said thermistor; said fastening clip having a baseportion with two arm members extending therefrom in a mannercomplementary to the shape of said connector, said arm membersterminating in' free ends and each having a pair of tangs strucktherefrom between said base portion and said free ends, said pairs oftangs being bent inwardly toward the opposite arm member for snapfastening locking'engagement with said connector when said connector isreceived between said arm members and adjacent said base portion, saidarm members between said pairs of tangs and said free ends having aportion complementary in shape to said thermistor, said free ends ofsaid arm members being bent inwardly toward each other, said fasteningclip having control arms struck from said arm members and bent outwardlytherefrom and extending away from said free ends, said free ends and thecomplementary portions of said arm members being deflected outwardlyagainst the self-biasing force of said arm members when said controlarms are pinched toward each other to allow said arm members to bereceived about said thermistor and for said connector to mate with saidthermistor, and the self-biasing force of said arm members causing saidcomplementary portions to move inwardly to peripherally engage saidthermistor and cansing said free ends to move inwardly and pass behindsaid thermistor when said control arms are released to detachably engagesaid clip with said thermistor,

1. A one-piece detachable fastening clip for retaining two mating bodiesin engagement with each other comprising: two integral and resilientbent arm members terminating in free ends, said arm members having tangmeans struck therefrom intermediate their ends and bent inwardly towardeach other for receiving and retaining one of the mating bodies betweensaid arm members, said free ends of said arm members being bent inwardlytoward each other, control arms struck from said arm members and bentoutwardly therefrom and extending away from said free ends of said armmembers, said free ends being deflectable outwardly away from each otherand against the self-biasing force of said arm members when said controlarms are pinched toward each other to allow the other of the matingbodies to be received between said arm members and to mate with said onemating body, and the selfbiasing force of said arm members causing saidfree ends to move inwardly when said control arms are released todetachably engage said other mating body.
 2. A one-piece detachablefastening clip for retaining two mating components in engagement witheach other, comprising: two integral and resilient arm members formed ina diverging relationship and terminating in free ends, each of said armmembers having tang means struck therefrom intermediate their ends andbent inwardly toward each other for snap fastening one of Said matingcomponents between said arm members, said arm members between said tangmeans and said free ends having a portion complementary to the other ofsaid mating components, said free ends being bent inwardly toward eachother, control arms struck from said arm members and bent outwardlytherefrom and extending oppositely from said free ends, said free endsand the complementary portion of said arm members being deflectedoutwardly when said control arms are pinched toward each other to allowsaid arm members to be received about said other mating component andfor said other mating component to mate with said one mating component,and the self-biasing force of said arm members causing saidcomplementary portions to move inwardly to peripherally engage saidother mating component and causing said free ends to move inwardly andpass behind said other mating component when said control arms arereleased to detachably engage said other mating component.
 3. Aone-piece detachable fastening clip for retaining a connector body inengagement with a mating thermistor, comprising: a flat base portion,two resilient and spaced apart are members bent into a divergingrelationship from said base portion, said arm members terminating infree ends, each of said arm members having pairs of tangs strucktherefrom between said base portion and said free ends, said pairs oftangs being bent inwardly toward the opposite arm members and beingadapted for snap fastening locking engagement with the connector toretain the connector between said arm members, said arm members betweensaid pairs of tangs and said free ends having portions complementary inshape to the outer periphery of the thermistor, said free ends of saidarm members being bent inwardly toward each other; a pair of controlarms struck from said arm members and bent outwardly therefrom into aparallel relationship and extending from between said tangs and saidfree ends oppositely from said free ends, said free ends and thecomplementary portions of said arm members being deflected outwardlyagainst the self-biasing force of said arm members when said controlarms are pinched to allow the arm members to be received about thethermistor and for the connector to mate with the thermistor, and theself-biasing force of said arm members causing said complementaryportion to move inwardly to engage the periphery of the thermistor andcausing the free ends to move inwardly and behind the thermistor whensaid control arms are released to detachably engage said thermistor. 4.A thermistor connection, comprising: a thermistor; a thermistorconnector matingly engageable with said thermistor; and a one-piecedetachable fastening clip for retaining said connector in matingengagement with said thermistor; said fastening clip having a baseportion with two arm members extending therefrom in a mannercomplementary to the shape of said connector, said arm membersterminating in free ends and each having a pair of tangs strucktherefrom between said base portion and said free ends, said pairs oftangs being bent inwardly toward the opposite arm member for snapfastening locking engagement with said connector when said connector isreceived between said arm members and adjacent said base portion, saidarm members between said pairs of tangs and said free ends having aportion complementary in shape to said thermistor, said free ends ofsaid arm members being bent inwardly toward each other, said fasteningclip having control arms struck from said arm members and bent outwardlytherefrom and extending away from said free ends, said free ends and thecomplementary portions of said arm members being deflected outwardlyagainst the self-biasing force of said arm members when said controlarms are pinched toward each other to allow said arm members to bereceived about said thermistor and for said connector to mate with saidthermistor, and the self-biasing force of said arm members causing saidcomplementary portions to move inwardly to peripheralLy engage saidthermistor and causing said free ends to move inwardly and pass behindsaid thermistor when said control arms are released to detachably engagesaid clip with said thermistor.